Researching Teaching & Learning 2 (102097)

Assignment 2

By: Tony Dimrajian

SID: 19058173

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Table of Contents

Part A: Literature Review………………...……………..…………………………… 3

References (Part A).………..………………………………………………………… 7

Part B: Data Collection Protocol…………………………….……………………...... 9

Part C: Data Collection Protocol Explanation………..……………………………... 13

References (Part C).………..………………………………………………..……… 15

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Part A: Literature Review

Group Topic: Minimising disruptions in the classroom to improve learning.

Subtopic: How do teachers and pre-service teachers use ICT to minimise disruptions?

There is a substantial amount of recent academic literature on the use of Information

and Communication Technology (ICT) and its role in education, however by diving

deeper into the research findings it becomes evident that there is a gap in the

literature. Whilst much research considers the usefulness of ICT within the classroom

setting, there is very minimal insight into the effectiveness of ICT with regards to

minimising disruptions. Let us delve beneath the surface and consider the history of

research behind utilising ICT in the classroom so that we may deduce the emergence

of key patterns and themes across the literature.

Pihlap (2017) conducted a study on the impact of using computers to learn about

quadratic functions in the mathematics classroom. His findings indicated that there

were not any noteworthy changes in regards to students meeting learning outcomes,

but the inclusion of ICT in the learning process resulted in students demonstrating a

greater sense of motivation towards learning functions. The use of ICT as a motivator

in education is a concept that is echoed by other similar studies. Murray (2014) argues

that ICT resources can help raise levels of student motivation and engagement with

the content, but also states that there are also limitations to using ICT such as students

using unreliable resources, which may result in limited learning opportunities for

some students.

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Standard 2.6 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) promotes

the integration of ICT into teaching programs to expand learning opportunities for

students. However, it should also be noted that by integrating ICT into the classroom,

the resources used can impact on curriculum choices (Murray, 2014). Using dynamic

ICT software such as GeoGebra in mathematics class can bring together multiple

subject concepts and help students to develop their creative reasoning to become

proficient problem solvers (Granberg & Olsson, 2015). By giving students the

opportunity to consider new problems and new ways of thinking, they will have the

potential to accomplish more then mere rote learning.

Fu (2013) argues that using ICT in classrooms will help students develop highly

valued lifelong skills and show them how to seek out new knowledge without being

so dependent on printed materials. According to academic literature, the benefits of

ICT in the classroom include having a creative learning environment, encouraging

collaborative learning and higher-order thinking skills, allowing student-centred and

self-directed learning as opposed to students being spoon-fed information, and an

overall improvement in the quality of teaching and learning (Fu, 2013). From the

perspectives of teachers, Fu (2013) also indicates that there has been evidence to

show that teacher concerns towards using ICT in their own classrooms include having

a lack of ICT skills, no clear goals for using ICT, insufficient time to integrate ICT

and new software into lessons, and classroom management.

The integration of computers into learning environments helps to support student

cognitive and sociocultural learning processes (Ben-Zvi, 2000). Whilst data

projectors, presentation software and interactive whiteboards have their place in

education, subject specific software is the essence of utilising ICT to improve

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teaching and learning (Clay, Fotou & Monaghan, 2017). For example, in the realm of

mathematics, software such as GeoGebra, Autograph, Desmos Graphing Calculator,

Microsoft Excel and Wolfram Alpha can aid student learning in ways that a textbook

alone cannot. Millum (2009) argues that integrating ICT resources such as blogs via

wiki web pages into lessons provides students with an opportunity to explore subject

content in a critical and creative manner.

Additionally, the use of ICT in integrating social media into student learning can

potentially help engage students with active learning, team research activities and

help them in developing collaborative and social skills (Marshall, 2018). It is

important to remember that the integration of social media may come with concerns

such as cyber bullying, but with the proper training teachers will have protocol to

follow in order to ensure the online safety and security of students. Without the

inclusion of ICT in education there are concerns of a different kind. For example,

students are limited in the sources of knowledge and information that they can access

and learn from. Digging deeper, if students are not exposed to the social and ethical

issues of social media and the internet in a safe, school environments they may not be

familiar with the safety concerns that come along with ICT until after school, at a

time when they might potentially be more vulnerable and susceptible to the dangers

(Khan, Bhatti & Khan, 2011).

It is also considered in a range of academic literature that ICT should not simply

substitute traditional forms of teaching, but that it should be used in addition to

current schooling resources (Pihlap, 2017). Another pattern across literature is that

using ICT can not only provide an understanding of content that printed resources

alone cannot, but also gives students the chance to experiment and play with online

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software, investigate problems and discover endless sources of research. It is also

emphasised that this research and experimentation should remain focused or it will

not be productive for students. The teachers role is to keep students pointed in the

right direction, provide online resources for them to access and use, and monitor their

safety in using ICT in the classroom.

Some common themes that emerge from academic literature on the use of ICT in

education include that it leads to higher levels of student engagement, provides an

opportunity for deeper learning and understanding, compliments student collaboration

and student-led learning. However another recurring theme is that it appears many

teachers have not been properly equipped with sufficient training to integrate ICT into

their classrooms confidently (Dockendorff & Solar, 2018). Very limited research

considers that ICT is not integrated into classrooms due to being a cause for student

disruption, but rather due to a lack of teacher training and teacher confidence to

successfully integrate ICT.

In summation, whilst there is ample research on the use of ICT in education, there is a

gap in the academic literature regarding the perspectives of teachers and pre-service

teachers on whether or not ICT minimises disruptions in the classroom. Research and

studies have been highly focused on the potential for ICT and subject specific

software to give students a deeper understanding and more meaningful learning

experience, as well as considering whether or not teachers are properly trained to

integrate ICT into their lessons. There is room for further research in this area that

could be substantially beneficial towards creating classroom environments that not

only integrate ICT, but also minimise student disruption.

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References (Part A)

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2016). Australian

Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers

Ben-Zvi, D. (2000). Toward Understanding the Role of Technological Tools in

Statistical Learning, Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 2:1-2, 127-

155.

Clay, S., Fotou, N., & Monaghan, J. (2017). The use of software in academic stream

high school mathematics teaching. The International Journal for

Technology in Mathematics Education, 24(1). Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/apps/doc/A504340247/AO

NE?u=uwsydney&sid=AONE&xid=ce2a0ca0

Dockendorff, M., & Solar, H. (2018). ICT integration in mathematics initial

teacher training and its impact on visualization: The case of

GeoGebra. International Journal of Mathematical Education in

Science and Technology, 49(1), 66-84.

Fu, J. S. (2013). ICT in education: A critical literature review and its implications.

International Journal of Education and Development using Information

and Communication Technology, 9(1), 112-125.

Granberg, C., & Olsson, J. (2015). ICT-supported problem solving and

collaborative creative reasoning: Exploring linear functions using

dynamic mathematics software. Journal of Mathematical

Behavior, 37(3), 48-62.

Khan, S. A., Bhatti, R., & Khan, A. A. (2011). Use of ICT by students: A survey

of faculty of education at IUB. Library Philosophy and

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 Practice,Library Philosophy and Practice, Dec, 2011.

Marshall, S. (2018). ELearning and ICT in secondary and tertiary

education. International Journal of Education and Development

Using Information and Communication Technology,14(1), 2-3.

Millum, T. (2009). Tackling hard-to-teach topics using ICT. NATE

Classroom, (7), 17.

Murray, G. (2014). How will access and reliability of information communications

technology resources affect the potential implementation of the Australian

curriculum?. Victorian Journal of Music Education, 1, 17-29.

Pihlap, S. (2017). The impact of computer use on learning of quadratic functions. The

International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 24(2).

Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/apps/doc/A504340250/AO

NE?u=uwsydney&sid=AONE&xid=923d27b8

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Part B: Data Collection Protocol

Data Collection Protocol: Online Qualitative Survey via SurveyMonkey

Link to Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CH5LH8V

Regarding Consent

As this was an online survey, the use of the WSU Consent Form was not required.

Instead, the first question of the online survey was marked as mandatory and used for

participants to provide their consent. This consent statement is as follows: “By

completing this survey, I acknowledge that I have been informed about the purpose of

this task and provide consent for my answers to be included in a presentation for the

unit, Researching Teaching and Learning 2 (unit 102097) at Western Sydney

University in 2018.”

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Survey Questions

Below are screenshots of the 10 questions that made up the online survey I distributed

as a means of collecting data about the perspectives of teachers and pre-service

teachers.

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Part C: Data Collection Protocol Explanation

The data collection protocol shown in Part B is one that could easily be implemented

by teachers and pre-service teachers as they undertake action research. Efron & Ravid

(2013) explain that action research is used to improve practice and apply findings to

the settings of the action researchers. Using SurveyMonkey as a means of creating

and distributing an online survey is a fast and simple way to gather information for an

action research project. I chose an online survey for my data collection protocol, as it

was very easy to distribute to teachers and pre-service teachers via online groups,

which have teachers as members. The survey could therefore be sent via a weblink to

participants via social media and email. Additionally by using this protocol, gathering

participant consent was quicker than having to distribute the WSU consent forms and

get participants to sign them. Instead, participants just had to answer a question to

give confirmation of their consent.

A qualitative survey allowed for clearer perspectives from participants as opposed to a

quantitative approach. It was designed with ten questions to be concise and to the

point so that participants would not be deterred by the length of the survey. One key

benefit of using SurveyMonkey was that it also allowed for different styles of

questions including multiple choice, checkboxes and textbooks; which I utilised in my

survey. For the agree/disagree options, instead of having five options where

participants could select a neutral option, I only had four options: strongly agree,

agree, disagree, and strongly disagree. By having only four options, respondents are

forced to sway one way or the other and cannot be fence sitters.

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Some concerns for me when constructing the survey that I accounted for included

avoid complex sentences, technical terms and jargon, keeping scales ordinal, asking

specific questions, anticipating all responses, and avoiding asking questions using

leading or evocative language. Surveys are the most often used form of teacher-

researchers (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2014). They provide a safe space for

participants to provide anonymous feedback. However, the anonymity aspect of using

a survey can be a disadvantage as opposed to using interviews, observations or

artefacts as some participants may not take the survey quite so seriously and might

mindlessly rush to complete it. One of the key benefits of surveys over other forms of

data collection protocol was that it is extremely easy to distribute and can quickly

gather information about a larger population. Other methods such as interviews,

observations and artefacts are limited in the amount of results that can be gathered

and therefore do not provide a sample as accurate as surveys can.

Overall, following the literature review in Part A, the survey constructed in Part B

emphasises a focus on seeking teacher opinions regarding the use of ICT and quite

specifically on its relationship with minimising disruptions. The questions aim to

close the gap found in previous academic literature and delve deeper into this aspect

of ICT in education. By using this data collection protocol, it will help gather relevant

feedback on minimising classroom disruptions and therefore contributes to the

group’s overall topic of ‘Minimising disruptions in the classroom to improve

learning.’

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References (Part C)

Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2014). Developing a research plan: Making

inquiry a part of your teaching practice. In N. F. Dana & D. Yendol-

Hoppey, The reflective educator's guide to classroom research: Learning

to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry (3rd ed., pp. 85-

145). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Efron, S. E., & Ravid, R. (2013). Action research in education: A practical guide.

New York, USA: Guilford Press.

SurveyMonkey: The World’s Most Popular Free Online Survey Tool. (2018).

Retrieved from http://www.surveymonkey.com/

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